


Armitage

by Cysteine



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), The Marketplace Series - Laura Antoniou
Genre: 50 Flavors of Creampuff, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:17:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5454656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cysteine/pseuds/Cysteine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-shot between books 1 and 2, the prequel of how JP Armitage came to be owned by Carmilla Karnstein</p>
            </blockquote>





	Armitage

* * *

JP refused to shed a tear as the cab took them from LaGuardia to the Long Island Training House for The Marketplace. Jules knew that they were asexual; they didn't understand why Sir needed to push them to try and enjoy being fucked.

So that's why they were back here, Armitage declined to renew the contract beyond the provisional basis. They knew Jules paid a hefty sum on the auction block and that JP would have to relinquish their percentage that was put into a long term CD that would have been a decent retirement (had the contract been fulfilled) but it wouldn't be fair to either one of them to continue in a Master/slave dynamic.

 _Well maybe this time Alexandra and Grendel will place me in a household where I'm not expected to enjoy sex_. _At least with Jack and Phillipe, they knew to just fuck me until they came._

JP thought back to the gay couple that had sent them here in the first place. Armitage enjoyed custom tailoring the three-piece suits that the couple gifted them as well as tying Jack’s tie every morning for him before he went to work. Philippe had helped hone JP’s skills with the katana between daily chores and making dinner. Even though Armitage didn't have much of a sex drive, seeing his two men together turned them on more than they had expected. It wasn't long before Jack caught JP touching themself after walking into them one night and was ordered to join them in bed. After a brief discussion on physical limits, JP was on all fours and getting finger-cuffed with Philippe in his mouth while Sir was buggering him from behind. Knowing that they were being used for the pleasure of his Sir and Phillipe brought more pleasure than any fumbling attempt from themselves.

JP was always treated like a guy then, and it had been the best six months of their life. Unfortunately Jack and Philippe were looking to adopt a child and there was no room for JP to live with them as a social worker could stop by at any time to make a random inspection. It was difficult enough already for them as a gay couple to be able to have a child, and JP would cherish the time that they had together.

The taxi made it to the front of the estate, and the Major Domo Chris was already there to pay him. Chris was a moderately-built five foot seven guy with dark eyes behind thin-framed glasses. His hair was dark and just barely long enough to curl, and his beard was trimmed to give his chin a bit more definition. The first time JP was here, they had expected something as ostentatious as Malfoy Manor. Instead this was downright tasteful, albeit larger than any house they had ever been in before. There were at least ten bedrooms, and probably a separate wing for the servants quarters.

“Welcome back, Armitage. The candidates are going over the contracts of the Marketplace. They will join you in the Conservatory for the mandatory medical exam.”

“Thank you, Chris.” Armitage replied, suitcase in hand.

“You won't be needing personal belongings here,” Chris added, taking the suitcase out of their hands, “remember your place here, trainee.”

“Yes, Chris.” JP knew to not call him ‘Master’ or ‘Sir’, unlike most slaves who first arrive here and assume anyone giving them orders was a Dominant of some sort. Chris was, for lack of a better term, the Alpha slave here. He was trusted to keep everyone on schedule, from the house staff to the trainees that would eventually be auctioned off to the highest bidder. There was an attempt to pair up the merchandise to the right buyer, but a perfect match couldn't always be guaranteed.

 _Which is why I'm back here_.

Chris took the suitcase off to storage as JP made their way through the grand entryway.

* * *

JP’s medical exam went quickly and with relative privacy as the doctor asked the usual awkward questions about their last period and if there has been any issues with their binding. _At least the speculum was warmed up this time._

“Have you reconsidered a hormone regimen?”

“I enjoy the way that I am, Doctor.” He nodded at that as he prepared the blood draw. It was sometimes tiresome to explain that they enjoyed being the way they were, without adding any outside hormones to the mix. _Just because Chris was on testosterone doesn’t mean that I want to be as well._ Besides, I don’t want to have to deal with actual beard stubble for the rest of my life. I can just spirit glue some on if I really want to.

Hushed voices came closer as Armitage looked at the doorway and saw three women and two men enter, all of them completely naked. The doctor nodded to them and asked them all to take a seat and to fill out the forms on the nearby table.

The buff, blonde male of the group scoffed at JP. “Who’s the runt here, and why does he get to wear clothing?”

JP rolled their eyes at the comment. “The runt’s name is JP Armitage, and has already ‘graduated’ from here. I’m just here for more extensive training before I’m re-auctioned.”

His curly-haired female counterpart took note of that. “That’s what Chris meant when he kept calling us ‘candidates’ instead of ‘trainees’. We do everything right here and we get to wear clothes for the next segment of training, right?”

The short haired ginger guy with blue eyes looked at the adonis nervously. “Actually he said that we didn’t have the privilege of clothing nor sexual orientation while we were here.”

A scoffing sound came from the lithe, sexy brunette who seemed to drape herself over her chair as she lazily looked over the paperwork. “Cock or pussy, I don’t care what they make me do, I’ll prove I’m worth every dollar that some stinking rich bastard will pay for me.”

The final one of the five, a tall-yet-lithe redhead looked up from her paperwork with an eyebrow raised. “Marie, you might get sold to a woman who just wants you to do her laundry and serve her tea. You can’t just decide you’ll be a pleasure slave. You’re supposed to be willing to serve for the sake of service.”

The brunette Marie puckered her lips in pouting disbelief. “Amanda, who is going to look at all this and think ‘I’ll have her do the dishes’? You can be on your knees scrubbing floors, I’ll be doing much more enjoyable things.”

JP witnessed the exchange and bit their tongue rather than respond. _Spoiled brats like that won’t last long here._ Women like Marie fancied themselves as slaves when really they just enjoyed the idea of it, while going out of their way to manipulate whoever was on the other end of the figurative leash.

The girl with curly blonde hair took the pause in the conversation to introduce herself. “JP, I’m Courtney. The redhead who is questioning his orientation is Lucas, while the slice of beefcake here is Craig.” Both guys made grunts of hello as they were filling out their medical history. “Do you have any advice for us first-timers here?”

JP pressed their lips thin as they thought about it. “Yeah, drop your ego at the door. Accept the idea that you’re nothing without someone to serve, and come into this as blank of a slate as possible. Alexandra, Grendel, and Chris are really good at finding and building on your strengths.”

“What’s your strength, getting thrown back like a puny fish not worth keeping?” Marie snapped snidely.

Craig and Marie both laughed at that. Craig finished and handed his paperwork to the doctor, smugly waiting for his own physical exam to begin. “Little boy, all the training in the world won’t make you taller. You’d probably do better as a French Maid to one of those perverts who likes cross-dressers.”

Chris cleared his throat at the doorway, getting everybody’s attention. “Candidates, you all are to report to Jack at the stables after this for fitting into bridles and hooves. Armitage, you’re to report to Sensei Chen for Bushido. You’ll find your uniform and equipment there.”

JP thanked Chris by name, glad to be away from the rest of the group as they were about to be dehumanized and forced into the mind-numbing role of a human pony. Armitage didn’t have anything against ponyplay per se, but Jack was a bit of a harsh taskmaster about it.

Marie bolted upright at that. “Bridles, like for horses and shit?! Chris, there has to be a misunderstanding. I’m a _pleasure_ slave, not a pony!”

Chris gave a tight smile, one that JP realized didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll inform Mistress Alexandra and Grendel about this... oversight. For now, please join the rest of the candidates there.”

Marie smiled and batted her eyelashes as she thanked Chris, as if she somehow ‘won’ her way out of the standard training that everyone was expected to do. JP grimaced as they left, knowing that Marie would soon learn the folly of having an inflated ego here.

* * *

Armitage’s reaction times weren’t rusty at all as Sensei Chen worked them out mercilessly as they sparred against each other, rarely getting an attack past each other’s defenses. He was in his mid-40’s, but his disciplined lifestyle made him seem to age at a slower rate and didn’t look a day over thirty, save for the touch of grey in his hair that made him look distinguished. When they first met at The Marketplace, Sensei Chen was confused as to why JP followed the Bushido path as they were born female and shouldn’t be wearing the Keikogi and Hakama. They retorted with reciting the eight tenets of the Bushido code and how none of them restricted the path to men only.

The pair of them sparred for the first time with simple kendo swords, and Sensei Chen had forced JP to fight naked in order to earn the right to wear the Keikogi and Hakama. As the bruises piled on, Chen repeatedly asked Armitage to yield the fight and to give up the path.

_“My former Sir and his boy helped me find this path, and I will not quit for you, Sensei!”_

_“You will never be accepted in Japan as a man. You would do better learning the Tea Ceremony!”_

_“I prefer coffee, Sensei.”_

_Chen bit back the smile that threatened to appear, and instead went for a harsher cut._

_“I prefer my_ _Wakashū to have testicles!”_

_Armitage wasn’t falling for Sensei Chen’s attempt to distract them, and bit back just as harsh._

_“I prefer my Nenja able to defeat me in combat and claim his boy as his prize!”_

_The pair of them faced each other off, pausing and breathing heavily._

_“Who taught you before, the seme or the uke?”_

_“The uke, Sensei.”_

_“If I defeat you, I will fuck you like the bishōnen you are.”_

_“I won’t go down easy for you, Sensei.”_

Their match went on for another ten minutes before Sensei Chen outmaneuvered JP and drove the kendo sword behind their calf, striking hard enough to drop the genderqueer submissive to the ground. Sensei Chen stood over them with the tip of the sword pointing ominously to their neck, and JP could tell by his victorious smirk what would come next.

JP had earned not only the right to wear the Keikogi and Hakama, but was also Sensei’s apprentice and occasional sexual partner after an intense workout. Near the end of JP’s time in the Marketplace the first time, they asked Sensei Chen about his Chinese surname. Apparently his family, being wealthy supporters of the KMT, fled during the Chinese Civil War in 1949 and wound up in Japan after getting officially banned from the country by the now-ruling CPC. They bonded over the fact that they never seemed to fit in anywhere, and JP knew that they'd miss Sensei Chen once they were auctioned off.

As JP greeted his former instructor again, it was apparent that Sensei Chen just wanted to catch up with his former pupil. After a half hour, Sensei challenged his pupil, and though Armitage won they still found themselves happily on their knees for their Nenja one more time.

“Thank you, JP. It has been quite some time since I’ve had such a release.” Sensei Chen moaned as he tied his black Hakama back on.

Armitage fought the blush from going to their cheeks at the compliment. “You could avail yourself of any trainee here in the Marketplace, Sensei.”

“They are all designed to be servile and weak. I want a warrior in training, and there are no more battles to be fought today. It is all done by button, trigger, and remote.” He shrugged at that. “I am a relic, yelling about Honor in the wilderness of modernity.”

Honor was one of the eight principles of the Bushido Code, and it troubled Armitage to hear his Sensei talk this way. “But you are still courageous, and righteous.”

“And benevolent? Will you tell me that I'm respected next? Boy, I am a glorified gym instructor who gets asked to teach yoga. My relevance  is coming to an end.” Chen looked away from JP and nodded towards the main part of the house. “I have recommended to Alexandra that you be trained as a Varlet.”

“Varlet? No, I’m a good butler-”

“Do not let the fire in your veins grow cold with such a _sedentary_ life. You will not like becoming sluggish at my age, yearning for the battle that will never come. Besides, I don’t want to see you return here again because some wealthy man decided to make you moan like a common whore. You will serve better as a protective sword-hand.”

“Yes, Sensei.”

* * *

Chris looked down at the five candidates as they all came out of the shower together, each of them returning the towel and standing naked before him. JP came back from the training room, still wearing their dark blue Keikogi and black Hakama pants. “You are all expected to dress into your provided clothing for dinner. Afterwards, you may go read in the library, work out in the gym, or go to bed early if the Masters of the House do not request your presence. Marie, I believe you would benefit from reading the training manual. Armitage, next week you’ll be getting bodyguard training and a concealed handgun license. This week you may practice with Sensei Chen when you’re not riding with Courtney.”

“Thank you, Chris.” Armitage said as they went to the dorm room with the others. Marie and Craig looked at them with jealousy.

“How come you didn’t have to trot around like a pony with the rest of us out by the stables?” Craig asked, massaging a cramp out of his left tricep.

Marie looked JP up and down indignantly. “That’s what you all did? Fuck, Jack had me cleaning out the stables wearing some shitty coveralls that scratched my tits raw.”

Courtney shrugged at the two of them. “Being a pony isn’t that bad once you get used to it. It really helps if you can get out of a human mindset and just want to be a pony.”

Amanda rubbed her thighs and calves as she sat back down on her bed. “I never thought trotting in those modified high-heel boots would hurt that much. That was worse than my soccer coach in college.”

Armitage let out an annoyed breath and took pity on the group. “Amanda, try a lunge stretch, like runners do. Craig, stretch your arm over and behind your head. Marie, I already did my pony training, and was really good at pulling a cart as well as dressage. And in case you haven’t figure it out yet, you really don’t want to get on Jack’s bad side.”

Lucas had his back turned to the group as he quickly dressed himself, being oddly reserved with his body. “Are we always going to be expected to shower together like that? I’m not used to having to bathe around others, male or female.”

Courtney was changing into her clothing as well; every candidate was wearing a simple polo shirt and shorts, in drab brown colors that didn’t do anything to accentuate their bodies nor distinguish the male from the female. It was as if they were going out of their way to de-sexualize them with these outfits.

Armitage found their slate-grey three piece suit on the bed with the burgundy shirt and a deep plum tie. Beneath the bed was the shoes and matching socks to go with the ensemble, making them stick out as the rest of them were in generic cross trainers for dinner. Grimacing, JP started to shed their Keikogi and braced themselves as the rest of the slaves-in-training would notice the binder they were wearing beneath the martial arts uniform.

Apparently none of the candidates noticed as they all were busy dressing themselves, though Courtney commented on the vest as JP tucked his tie inside.

“Is that custom tailored?” She asked, making JP the focus of the room again.

“Yes, my first Sir bought it for me.” They answered, wishing a mirror were nearby to make certain the tie was straight. At least JP could ensure a straight gig line.

“The one who sent you back?” Lucas asked, looking at JP’s tie and nodding in the affirmative.

“No, the one who sent me here in the first place. His boy taught me the Trinity and Eldredge knot.”

“Can you show me how to tie those knots, JP?” He asked, inspecting the knot at Armitage’s throat.

“This is just a full windsor.”

“Just a full windsor?” Craig scoffed, taking the time to really look at the knot work. “Holy crap, that's smooth.”

“You should see my high-shine then.”

“Were you military?” Lucas was intrigued now.

“No, just Marketplace. Grendel thought I’d do well as butler/manservant, and brought in specialized teachers for me.”

* * *

Alexandra and Grendel didn't ask to have an audience with any of the recruits that night. JP knew it was customary in order to see how they voluntarily spend their free time, and Armitage wasn't surprised at all that Marie went to bed early rather than study in the library.

Courtney studied over the House Manual in the library while Amanda stretched out her sore muscles in the gymnasium. JP wound up teaching the two guys how to do the various knots while telling them about the previous contact that wasn't renewed past the probationary stage.

“So your Sir shelled out 30 grand for six months, and you couldn't just stay for the money?”

“The Marketplace gets a percentage of that, and even then I don't get to touch the money until after a full year contract is complete because the money is locked away in a CD.”

“What about incidental expenses?” Lucas asked as he finished a somewhat crooked Eldredge knot.

Craig chuckled at that. “If someone is paying that much for a slave, they are going to budget out a weekly stipend, too.”

Armitage nodded at that. “Grendel and Chris will go over that with you when you're put up on the auction block. First step is to become an official trainee so you can get specialized attention on your strengths and weaknesses. “

* * *

 

As the week progressed, Craig seemed to mellow out around JP in the evenings while Lucas opened up about his reservations about getting purchased by a male owner. Armitage had been lucky to be on a different schedule than the other candidates and showered separately, so none of them knew about JP being genderqueer and simply passed for male. Courtney and Amanda seemed to be progressing as well, but on Saturday afternoon there was an incident with Marie that seemed a long time coming.

“Was that Marie?” Courtney asked as she and JP during riding lessons as they practiced posting. Armitage nodded as the two of them turned their horses around and made their way back towards the stables.

“When will you get it through your thick skull that your spoiled brat attitude has no place here?! You came to learn to be a good slave to be auctioned off, not to talk your way into being _coddled_ and _fucked_ the way you want!”

The pair of them slowed down and stopped as they came into view and saw Chris dragging Marie behind himself by her hair with Grendel looking for Jack, the stablemaster. Grendel towered over Chris at almost six feet and had black hair, a nearly-shorn beard with a few wisps of silver, and honey-brown eyes that usually looked like they were smiling. _Usually, as right now he looked downright pissed off._

“I’m sorry Master Grendel! Don’t send me back to Jack!” Marie wailed as she was affixed with a steel collar and lead into the stables.

“Making you clean the stables didn’t work. Having you work on the compost with your bare hands didn’t work, maybe this will finally get it through to you! Jack, open the gate.”

“No! Master Grendel, no!”

“You don’t even _have the privilege_ to call me by that title, Marie.”

“I’m sorry Grendel! I won’t do it again!”

The gate opened and Chris put her into the stable and chained the collar to it, stepping out and closing it with a satisfying bng.

“You won’t do _what_ again?”

“I won’t, uh… won’t come looking for sex with Grendel.” Marie said nervously.

“Is that why you think you’re being punished?” Grendel muttered under his breath. “Have you even read the manual here?”

Courtney looked to JP, eyes slightly terrified. “Oh shit, she hasn’t. Are we all going to get punished for this?”

JP shook their head. “No, I doubt that. But I bet she’s a step away from being rejected and black-listed from the Marketplace entirely. And she’ll have to pay out-of-pocket her training fees so far.”

Marie was kneeling in a horse stable, visibly agitated. “No I fucking haven’t! It’s long, boring, _and stupid_ , alright?!”

Grendel shook his head, looking away and noticing Courtney and JP watching the whole ordeal. “Chris, you deal with this. You two, riding class is over today.”

They both replied “Yes, Sir” and dismounted as Grendel approached them. Jack followed behind Grendel and stabled the horses as JP and Courtney looked down deferentially to the co-owner of the Long Island training facility.

“You may tell your fellow candidates what happened here, and assure them that her actions do not reflect on the rest of you.” The sound of a riding crop could be heard hitting flesh sharply as Marie’s cries were muffled in the hay that her face was obviously buried in.

Courtney repeated her “Yes, Sir” while JP raised their head slightly.

“Request permission to ask a question.”

“Yes?”

“What did she do prior to this?” Armitage asked as the cries of pain turned into sobs of resignation. If corporal punishment were to be employed, it was standard protocol to only strike the candidate or trainee up to twenty times, as they remembered getting whipped once for breaking an expensive tea set the last time they were here.

“Marie thought it was prudent to _sneak into_ my personal quarters and then _attempt to seduce me_ in exchange for getting out of punishment from Chris for her blatant insubordination. She said she could warm my bed and prove that she’s the best pleasure slave I’ve ever met.”

_Being asked to share a bed is considered a great honor here. She practically demanded it._

Grendel saw the reactions in their faces and made an _mhm_ sound of agreement.

“Being a pleasure slave is the most difficult path, and other than having the look for the part, I daresay she lacks the discipline and has too much of an ego for her to go far as one. Does she come across as well-read to you? Know much about current politics or speak another language?”

They both shook their heads and said “No, Sir” to him.

“As I feared. I’m going to have to talk to the spotter who recruited her. This is the last time I have a bint who thinks blowjobs are currency.”

That evening, Marie wasn’t at dinner. Nor did she come back to the dorm room afterwards, and Courtney filled the others in on what had happened earlier in the day.

“What on earth was she thinking?” Amanda sighed, exasperated. “I mean, I’d love a good caning right now, but I’m not going to purposefully misbehave!”

Lucas shook his head slightly at that. “I’ve figured out their punishment system. They won’t spank you if you like it; they look for what you dislike the most and threaten you with it.”

“What were you threatened with?” Craig asked.

“I was told that Mr. Shaw would put me to good use.” Lucas shuddered at that. “I know that we could get auctioned to men, and that the majority of the clientele is male, but my file specifically states that I’d prefer-”

JP chuckled at that. “Lucas, the gardener’s asexual. The only plowing he does is with the soil.”

Lucas smiled nervously, obviously relieved. “Really? Is there anyone else who…?”

Amanda shrugged at that. “From what I’ve heard, the cook doesn’t really sample the trainees nor does Sensei Chen.”

Armitage smirked at that. “Sensei has a very particular taste. You lot don’t have to worry.”

Craig grinned at that. “No you didn’t! Tell me he has washboard abs under that gi!”

JP felt color hit their cheeks and couldn’t help but blush. “Sensei Chen has an amazingly athletic body. And the touch of grey in his hair doesn’t hurt, either.”

Lucas looked to Courtney and Amanda. “So is everyone here a bit bisexual?”

Courtney shrugged. “I can appreciate the soft skin and artful curves of their bodies.” She gave a coy glance to the redhead girl appreciatively.

Amanda grinned. “I mostly enjoy service and pain. My last girlfriend liked being rough with a strap-on.”

Craig chuckled darkly. “I’m fine with being some woman’s eye-candy, and if she asks me to fuck her, I’ll just think of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn.”

Lucas looked to Armitage. “You were with a pair of guys, so-”

“You’re not homophobic, are you, Lucas?” JP asked, walking over to where Lucas was sitting on his bed.

“No, I’m not. I just... “ Armitage straddled him as Lucas’ hands automatically went to their hips. “Guys don’t really turn me…” JP’s fingers trailed over his short, red hair and shifted their weight with a sensual rock of their hips. “...on.”

“Liar.” Armitage said, eyes locked onto Lucas’ blue eyes.

Lucas’ breath hitched as JP laughed and got off of his lap, giving Craig a high-five as they went back to sit on their own bunk.

“Okay, that’s not fair, I just haven’t had a…” Lucas’ eyes darted from his traitorous erection to JP and back again. “Damn, I’m a little bit bi.”

“If it makes you feel better, I’m actually asexual. Maybe panromantic; I just mostly want to serve and please people.” JP replied. “Your previous Dominant was a woman, right?”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah, she was great, but already had a live-in maid and promised to get me here.”

Armitage continued. “Did she ever enjoy putting a plug in you, or using a strap-on?”

Lucas went red with embarrassment. “She did, and I uh, really enjoyed it.” He looked up to JP. “But she was gentle and delicate when we did that.”

Craig gasped in understanding. “You’re worried that a man wouldn’t be that way with you. Let me ask you this: why would anyone want to break their toy?”

“Well, ‘break’ as in-” Lucas hedged.

Craig put his hand to his chest as if he were about to impart great wisdom. “I am a slut. I have had a LOT of gay sex before I got into D/s, and can tell you that nobody wants to truly harm anyone in the way you fear. If there are any who are like that, they don’t last long in any community.”

Chris walks into the dorm room and it grew deathly silent. “Well said, ‘slut’. Armitage, Courtney… Alexandra would like an audience with you two this evening. Amanda, Grendel has asked to see you. Lucas and Craig, feel free to use the gym or library.”

* * *

“Come in, please.” Alexandra said to the pair of them. “I think you two are uniquely suited to help each other.”

JP looked to Courtney, confused. “Ma’am?”

Alexandra was draped in a lacy black chemise as if she were getting ready for bed. Alexandra was the epitome of elegance as she stood there. She was barely an inch shorter than JP, but she exuded a kind of grace that made everyone seem to have to look up to her anyways. Her blond hair was elbow length, so pale that you could mistake it for white in a certain light. She gave a small smile in welcoming them into her studio, her soft features inviting yet anxiety-inducing.

Armitage knew she was the Matriarch of the house and that she, along with Grendel, would decide their fate.

“Courtney, strip.” She said flippantly as she looked up and down the blonde. Courtney did as she was told, and Armitage glanced over and couldn’t help but admire her pert, perky breasts.

“If I were to instruct JP here to fuck you, for my pleasure, would you enjoy it?”

Armitage gulped at that. _That’s why I’m here?_

“I um, I would do it if it pleases you, Ma’am.”

“ _Of course_ it would please me if I asked you to do it, Courtney. But right now I’m asking if you would enjoy it.”

Courtney looked at JP and shrugged. “He’s a… decent-looking man.” Alexandra spared a look to JP at that, who frowned slightly.

“I’ve looked over your file, Courtney. You’re what I would call a ‘blank slate’, and I would love to have you trained up as a pleasure slave and believe I could fetch an amazing price for you. Particularly if I sold you and Craig as a brother/sister pair, that’s the latest trend over in Europe.”

“I, um, would be honored. Ma’am.” Courtney replied, and Alexandra closed her eyes as if to ward off an approaching headache.

“Of course you would. But the problem I have is that you’re _too much_ of a blank slate. I need to know if you can be sensual. And if you can act with appropriate decorum.” Alexandra pointed to Armitage. “Take off their clothes. Slowly, so I can enjoy the show.”

Courtney had a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face as she turned to face JP. Armitage looked her in the eyes and gave her a small smile, carefully avoiding from gandering at her fully nude form.

“It’s okay, Courtney.”

Armitage realized in that moment that Courtney wasn’t assertive enough to instigate this. “Ma’am, may I-”

“You may not undress yourself, JP. But you may assist her in her task.” Alexandra cut in.

JP cupped Courtney’s face with their hands to get her attention. She blinked up at them, smiling nervously. “I’m not used to doing this.” Armitage kissed her, gently at first, and felt her melt into their embrace as Courtney kissed back and opened her mouth and probed with her tongue. JP responded in kind, feeling a flash of pleasure as they heard Alexandra moan in quiet approval. The kiss ended, breathy, and JP put her hands on their tie.

“You can do this. It will please Alexandra.” Courtney nodded as she took off the tie and dropped it to the floor, fingers trailing down their chest to undo the buttons of the vest as she went in for another kiss. The vest came off, then the buttons to the shirt as JP kicked off their shoes and was getting turned on from knowing that it was pleasing Mistress Alexandra.

When the shirt came all the way off, Courtney struggled with the snug tank top that fit like shapewear. Armitage grabbed the ends with their arms crossed and looked to Alexandra, who nodded her consent as Courtney undid the belt and the slacks, humming appreciatively at the dark boxer briefs as she took them down with the slacks, and removed both socks with relative ease.

“Oh.” Courtney said in surprise as Armitage took off their top binder. “I um, didn’t know.” She said apologetically to JP.

“Is there a problem Courtney?” Alexandra asked.

“Um, no Ma’am.” Courtney answered. “Armitage is now naked as you asked.”

“Would you like to lick their cunt?”

Courtney gulped awkwardly. “If it pleases you, Ma’am-”

“-it would please me to get a straight answer out of you.” Alexandra huffed in exasperation. “Armitage, would you enjoy having her lick your cunt?”

“No, Ma’am. But I would consent to it if you wished it to happen, and would enjoy knowing that it pleased you.” JP replied, arms at their side as their pulse raced.

Alexandra clapped her hands once in exclamation. “That! Courtney, that is what I want from you. You’ve got all the markings for a great pleasure slave; you’re well-read, bilingual, have an amazing body and an innocent-looking face, but I have no idea where your desires or boundaries lie.”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, I just want to please-”

“-and you will. But I need to know if you’re averse to vagina or being used sexually.” Alexandra looked to Armitage. “As you know, I’ve decided to have you specially trained to be a Varlet so that your next owner won’t look at you like a piece of ass.”

JP cleared their throat. “I may not have a sex drive, Alexandra, but I do wish to please my owner.”

She arched an eyebrow at that. “Explain.”

"I don't have a drive to have sex, but I do want to please my partner.”

“And what happened with your last Sir?”

"Well giving him head wasn't a problem since it didn't reinforce being assigned female at birth, nor did the sex that I had with my former Master and his boy.”

Alexandra looked to the blonde. “See Courtney, Armitage here actually enjoys being used for someone else's pleasure. This is what I need to know if you can do or not.”

Courtney looked to JP. “May I ask what happened?”

“It was only when Master forced me to try and enjoy the vaginal penetration, reminding me that I _should_ enjoy it, and come for him like a good girl, that it made things worse.”

Alexandra shook her head sadly. "I thought you and he would be a perfect match."

"Alexandra, I was fine with being his object of service and pleasure. He said that he understood that my vagina and my breasts doesn't make me female. My body is nothing more than... an amalgam of bits that can be fucked if he wanted them. I feel very repulsed by anything that can be used as a gender marker, because it shouldn’t matter, I am simply a servant in all things.”

“I don’t mean to be crude or to pry into your past, but how did you have sex with your former Master and his boy?” Alexandra asked, knowing how difficult it was for their first genderqueer trainee who didn’t fit into the usual gender binary.

JP shrugged at that. “Master took me from behind anally while I gave his boy a blow job; I even tugged on my clit like a small penis and enjoyed it occasionally. The difference there was that I felt like one of the guys. I may not entirely identify as male, but the Sir that the Marketplace placed me with tried to compliment me on my vagina as he went down on me, making me have to accept his praise and his feeble attempts to try and please me, which is what made everything worse.”

Alexandra nodded in understanding. "So you'd be okay with getting tied up and fucked, even vaginally, by your next owner?"

JP pondered that and nodded. "I don't have much problem with penetration. For the extremely rare times that I do want sex, I really do just want to be thrown around, restrained, and fucked. But that’s mostly in the context of being used for _their pleasure_ , and not my own. Because in that moment, I am truly in that moment of sub-space and don't care what happens to me. I would have to know that my owner would be responsible enough to not break their toy, to use a condom, and to not try to gender me as female, which are my basic boundaries which are outlined in the contract they will sign. Beyond that, goodness, please be as rough as you want and test my limits."

Alexandra smiled in agreement. "I think I can work with that, Armitage. Would you be willing to serve a Master or Mistress who has multiple slaves, and would make you fuck them on command for their viewing pleasure?"

"I think I could that; it would work on the same principle of making me a toy for another's pleasure. Have me wear a harness and I've got my nice, big cock on and that's all I am. The idea of that doesn't scare me off because I'm still doing this for someone else."

“Please get dressed and enjoy the rest of your free evening. You will continue your bodyguard training in the morning. I suggest you get to bed early. Courtney, come into my bed, I believe I need to test your stamina.” JP nodded at that as they dressed and left Mistress Alexandra’s room.

* * *

JP woke up to a giant man towering over their bed, a sadistic grin on his face. He had a stereotypical chestnut brown buzz cut that went with his piercing grey eyes and drill instructor posturing as he yelled at them to get up.

“JP Armitage! This is your wakeup call!”

The other occupants in the room sat up, dazed, and laid back down as they realized that the strange man was only here for JP.

“Sir?” JP muttered blearily, sitting up in bed.

“Don’t ‘Sir’ me, boy! I’m Roy Battle, retired Master Sergeant, United States Marine Corps. You will address me as ‘Sergeant Battle’. Now, get into your gear and let’s go on a brisk two mile run!”

Armitage looked out the window and realized that the sun wasn’t out yet. Sergeant Battle tossed them a bundle of clothing and placed a bright blue pistol on the bed along with a pair of ankle cuffs.

“There you go, put the ankle weights on and holster your training weapon in your tank top. You’re going to get used to the added weight.”

Within five minutes, JP was running astride the possibly demented Marine as he quizzed them on possible weak points in the security layout of the house that could get them shot from any angle from the road.

“You need to keep a clear and level mind, even with adrenaline pumping through your veins, Armitage.”

“Yes, Sergeant Battle.”

“You able to keep running? Wasn’t certain a guy your size would keep up.”

“I sword fight as a way of life, Sergeant Battle. This is nothing.”

The six-foot-two Marine grinned at the challenge in their voice. “One more lap around the house and then we go to the firing range, see if your aim hasn’t gone to shit.”

The rest of the week went on like that; grueling run followed by shooting practice in the morning, threat assessments of buildings and vehicles in the afternoon, and hand-to-hand combat and disarming in the evening. JP felt exhausted when they got to bed, but enjoyed how much more their body felt toned by the new regimen. Sergeant Battle was impressed with JP’s physical ability as they sparred in the gym and was finally able to disarm him of the simulated firearm after two days of trying.

At the end of a particularly exhausting day, MSgt Battle took JP over to the firing range to show them how to field-strip and service the various firearms they had practiced with.

“So what’s the JP stand for?”

“Nope.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am not answering that, Sergeant Battle.”

“Well, the conceal carry tank top you got was the smallest men’s size available, and I was told that it would help you with your ‘binding’. Then when I saw your file and your paperwork for your concealed handgun license, it all made sense. I, uh, would never have expected-”

Armitage sighed forcefully at that. “Yeah, I was born a girl. You were born under two feet tall, right? People change over time.”

Sgt. Battle looked at them like they pulled a pin from a grenade. “Sorry, I didn’t- I just-”

“When you’re already in a hole, stop digging.” JP replied calmly.

“Okay.” They sat in an uncomfortable silence as he cleaned the glock’s barrel of burned gunpowder residue with a bore brush.

“You’re not usually brought in for training here at the Marketplace, are you?” JP asked.

Sgt. Battle shook his head. “Second time here. I thought it was strange to hear that a BDSM slave-auction house would need my type of training, but it pays the bills alright.”

“How did you get here, then?”

“I um, enjoy the services of a certain pro-domme from time to time. She knew I ran my own private security consulting business.”

JP looked at them with an incredulous smirk. “You go to a-”

“Hey, I liked following orders. After doing embassy security for a few tours in the Middle East, getting on my knees to lick the boots of a Mistress was one of the few ways I learned to unwind.”

“I can’t judge you there.” JP replied, now lubricating the barrel to the shotgun before them.

“So why are you here?”

“I want to find a good home where I can serve.”

Sgt. Battle nodded his head at that as he reassembled the pistol and wiped it down. “That actually makes sense. I hope you find a good home, then.”

* * *

 

The following morning, Chris brought Marie back to the large dormitory and handed JP a large package. “Breakfast will be served in half an hour, trainees. You will receive your specialized training afterwards. Armitage, you’re to go see Master Grendel immediately. You’ve been purchased through a private arrangement.”

“I didn’t get auctioned, Chris?” JP asked. Chris shook his head.

“There’s been an incident involving a former Marketplace slave and their _former_ Owner requires someone with your unique skill set. I’ve been informed that this should be an ideal match for you. Details are inside the package.”

JP opened up the box to see lightweight body armor and a security manual for the employment of the millionaire Carmilla Karnstein.


End file.
